Fastener for the floor racks of railroad cars



Jung 23, 1925.

' G. A. HULL FASTENER FOR THE FLOOR RACKS OF RAILROAD CARS Filed Dec. 11. 1924 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 560596 dfzall,

June 23, 1925.

G. A. HULL FASTENER FOR THE FLOOR RACKS OF RAILROAD CARS Filed Dec- 11. 19 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 23, 1925.

UNITED STATES GEORGE A. HULL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

ASSIGNOR TO EQUIPMENT SPECIALTIES 00., CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

rns'rnnnn ron THE FLOOR RACKS or RAILROAD cans.

Application filed December 11, 1924. Serial No. 755,201.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ,GEORGE A. HULL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for the Floor Racks of Railroad Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdra-wings, forming a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to fasteners for the floor racks of railroad cars.

In the construction of refrigerator cars it is the general practice to provide floor racks upon which the crates of fruit or other perishable produce are packed, to

support the produce above the floor and provide a lower zone through which cold air can be circulated from the end ice compartments up through the perishable produce. These floor racks are generally hinged along their outer side edges, and when the car is to be cleaned, or is to be used for other purposes where the racks would be unnecessary or a hindrance,they are swung up to lie substantially parallel with the side walls ,of the car. Various forms of fastening devices have heretofore been employed 'for holding these floor racks in their upright positions, one typical form comprising a fastening member which is secured to the side wall and which supports a link adapted to be dropped over a strut on the rack. Fastening devices of this type are all subject to theobjection that the fastening element on the side wall of the car forms a projecting obstruction which damages fruit crates and other commodities in the car.

When the car suddenly stops and starts, or

is suddenly jerked in the coupling of cars, the load has a tendency to shift in the car, with the result that the projecting fastener element often rips open the sides of the fruit crates and otherwise injures that portion of the load sliding past it.

The primary object of the present invention is to avoid this source of loss by providing a fastening which leaves no portion projecting in position where it can do any chafing, marring or tearing of the cargo while in transit.

A further object is to provide a fastening means of flexible nature for'permitting engine shocks to be absorbed by the floor rack swinging against the car wall;

And a fastening means which will be cheap to manufacture and easy to apply.

Referring to the accompanying drawings further object is to provide such a wherein. I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is afragmentary transverse sectional view of one side of a refrigerator car showing one of the floor racks;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of attachment between the link member and the recessed socket member;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the recessed socketmember, taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2; v V

Figure ,4 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a modified form of fastening means; I

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the socket member employed. in this embodi ment illustrating in dotted lines the floor rack in its upper position, and

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View illustrating a modified attachment between the fastener link and the floor rack. I

Referring to Figure 1, the floor of a -efrigerator car is indicated at 8 and one side wall at 9. This side wall 9 is generally built up of outer sheathing 11', a layer 0 hair felt 12, post 13, other layers of hair felt 14, and an inner wall facing 15. The inner wall facing 15 is spaced from the innermost layer of hair felt 15 for providing an intervening airspace 16.

The floor rack 18 is constructed of longitudinal stringers 19 which normally rest on the floor 8, and across the upper are fastened cross members 21; These floor racks usually extend from the bulkhead edges of which 7 defining the end ice compartment to the prises an eye-bolt 33 extending upwardly through the outer stringer 19' and receiving a' nut Slat itslowe'r end engaging in a counterbore- A pair of chain "links 3636 have linked connection with the eye in this latter eyebolt. The bolt is extended through the stringer to dispose the eye 37 intermediate adjacent cross members 21, and when the rack is in its lower position, the two links 363G can be dropped down between these cross members where they will not interfere with the sliding of crates on the floor rack.

The cooperating socket member 38 is in theform' of a. cup-shaped shell which is recessed in-an opening in the siding 15. This cup-shaped shellis preferably extended back through the air space 16 to obtain the desired depth of socket in the arrangement shown the rear face of this socket abutting the adjacent layer of hair felt 14:. A mar;- gina'l flange 39 on this socket is adapted to lie in a countersink in the face of the siding, the hole for the socket and the countersink for the flange 39 being capable of cut ting at one operation.

The socket is provided with a. locking shoulder adapted to be engaged by the fas tening link carried by the floor rack 18. This locking shoulder is in the form of a hook 41 formed integral with the shell 38 and projecting radially from the inner wall thereof. ,lVhen the floor rack has been swung to its upright position, the end fasteninglin-k 36- is' merely inserted in the socket and slipped over the hook 1 1. The play afforded through the links 3636 avoids any necessity of accurate alinement between the fastening means and absorbs engine shocks by permitting the floor rack to swing inwardly toward the side wall. hen the floor rack is lowered to its normal position on the floor 8, it will be noted that no partof the fastening member carried by the side wall projects beyond the plane of the side wall.

The socket 38 may be secured in the side wall by wood screws 43 passing through apertures in the flange 89 and screwing into the siding 15. Another manner of fastening this socket for interlocking the same to thesiding 15 is to slot the upper part of the shell 4d'and pass aninterlocking' angle 7 member 45* up through this slot for engages ment on the outer side of the siding 15. The lower end of this angle member 45 is apertured for the reception of along wood screwsfi. which passes through the intervening layers of hair felt 14 and screws into the post. 13. hen using the interlocking angle member 41:5, the outer wood screws 43 can be dispensed with if desired.

Converse ly, the screws 43 may be employed without the interlocking angle m mber 15.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4:, 5 and 6 the fastener link carriedby'the floor rack consists of a shank 18 having a ball 49 at one end and. an eyepivot 51 at the other. The eye; 51 is looped tl'irough a hole in the upper edge of a; plate which is secured to the outer side face of: the stringer 1:9' by screws 53. WVhen the floor rack reposes in its lower positionon the car floor, the link can drop down between adjacent cross members 21, whereby noportion of this fastening means will. project above the top of the floor rack.

The socket. member carried by the side' wall in this embodiment consists of a rectangularplate 54: which; is recessed in a countersink in the siding 15. The socket member is secured to this sid ng by screws.

Formed in this socket plate 5 1 is akeyhole slot consisting of a rel-ativelylarge opening 56 and a narrow slot 57 extending tening means on. the rack 18 is inserted.

through the upper end 56 of the keyhole slit and isthen dropped down behind the narrow portion 57 thereof. The lateral edges of the narrow portion 57 form lockingshoulders for cooperating with the fastener link 18. [is described. in the previous eml'iodi'inent, the play incident between the li; k 48 and the rack avoids any. necessity of accurate alinementbetween the two. fats-- ten-ing devices and permits of limited swinging movement of the rack for absorbing engine shocks.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 6, the fastener link 18 has connection through one'or more chain links 19 with the eye 51 of an. eye-bolt 52 extending,- hrough the stringer 19. This affords a still greater freedom of the link-48,

I do not intend to be limited to the par-- ticular details herein shown and described. What I claim is: I 1. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall a floor rack adapted for swinging up into proximity to said side wall, a fastening member hinged-1y connected to said floor rack, and a socket member comprising an annular metal wall set into arecess in said ide wall-of the car andclosing the sides I of said recess, said socket member having a looking shoulder therein with which said pivoted fastening member is adapted to have locking co-operation.

2. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a floor rack adapted for swinging up into position alongside said side wall, a fastening member carried by said floor rack, and a" socket member comprising an annular metal wall set into a recess: in said side wall, said socket member having a looking shoulder therein with which said fastening member is adapted to have locking cooperation.

3. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a floor rack adapted for swinging up into proximity to said side wall, a fastening member pivotally: connected to said floor rack, and a socket member set into a recess in said side wall, said socket member comprising an outer flange engaging said side wall for receiving fastening screw means and having a locking shoulder with which said fastening member is adapted to have locking co-operation. 4-. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a floor rack adapted for swinging up into position alongside said side wall, a link member pivotally connected to said floor rack, and a socket member set into a recess in said wall and having a locking shoulder for receiving said link, said socket member comprising an outer flange apertured to receive screws for fastening the same to said side wall.

5. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a floor rack adapted for swinging up into proximity to said side wall, a fastening link hingedly connected to said floor rack, and a socket member comprising a flanged portion set into a recess in said side wall and comprising a locking shoulder with which said fastening link is adapted to have locking co-operation.

6. The combination with a railroad car having a side wall and a floor rack adapted for swinging up into position alongside said side wall, of fastening means for said floor rack comprising a fastening member carried by said floor rack and a cup shaped metallic socket set into a recess in the side wall and having a locking shoulder for co-operation with said fastening member.

7. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall and a hinged floor rack, a cupshaped socket member recessed in said side wall, said socket member having a locking shoulder therein, and a link carried by said rack adapted for engagement with said loc ing shoulder.

8. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall and a hinged floor rack, a cupshaped socket member having a hook therein, said socket member being recessed in said side wall, and a link carried by said 'rack having a looped end adapted forengaging over said hook.

9. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall and a floor rack adapted to be swung up into position alongside said side wall, fastener means for securing said rack to said side wall comprising a socket member recessed in said side wall, and a member projecting from said socket member and engaging on the rear side of a portion of said side wall.

10. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall and a floor rack adapted to be swung into position adjacent said side wall, fastener means for connecting said rack to said side wall comprising a socket member recessed in said side wall, and a link member carried by said floor rack and an interlocking shoulder projecting from said socket member and engaging on the rear side of the panelling of said side wall.

11. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a floor rack adapted to be swung up into position alongside said wall, fastener means for attaching said floor rack to said side wall comprising a cup-shaped socket member recessed in said side wall, and a link pivotally connected to said floor rack and adapted for her, one wall of said. socket member having a slot therein, an interlocking member adapted to be inserted out through said slot after mounting on said socket member in said side wall, said interlocking member being adapted to be engaged behind a portion of said side wall.

12. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a floor rack adapted to be swung up into position alongside said side wall, a socket member secured to said side wall having a slot therein, and means carried by said rack adapted for engagement in said slot.

13. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a fioorrack adapted to be swung up into position alongside said side wall, a socket member secured to said side wall having a slot therein, and a link pivotally connected to said rack for engagement in said slot.

14. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a floor rack adapted to be swung engagement in said socket memup into position alongside said side wall, a

socket member secured to said side wall having a keyhole slot therein, and a link member connected to said rack and having a laterally projecting surface adjacent the end thereof for engagement in said keyhole slot. i

v 15. In a railroad car, the combination of a side wall, a floor rack adapted to be swung up into position alongside said side wall, a socket member secured to said side wall having a keyhole slot therein, and a link pivotally connected to said rack and having a; ball end adapted for dropping into said keyhole slot.

16. In arailroad car, the combination of a; sidewall, 21,. floor reek adapted tolbe swung up: into position. alongside said side wall, 2L soeket member secured to said side wall having a, keyhole slot therein a link having a spherical end adapted for insertion in the large part of said keyhole slot and for dropping behind the locking shoulders .of the narrow portionsof said slot, and

second link, loosely-connecting said locking l nk with said floor rack.

1.7.. In e-Vra ilroa-d car, the combination of a side wall, a, floor rack; adapted to be swung 15 up into position alongsidesaid: side well, an eye-bolt secured to said floor rack, a fastener l'inl: carried by said eye bolt, and a cooperating fastener member carried by said side wall for engzigement' with said 2 fastener link.

In witness whereof, I" hereunto sub-scribe my name this 9th, day of December, 1924.

GEORGE A. HULL. VS itness CAMERON A. NHITsETT. 

